By Adam Discepolo
Albus is a 3 year old bay colt emerging as a key contender for the 2026 Kentucky Derby following an upset victory in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes securing 100 derby points putting him in 9th place. He has established himself as a dangerous longshot with solid speed figure improvement and a versatile running style.
Racing Record and Notable Performances
Albus comes into the derby with a 4:2:0:1 record after back to back wins first breaking his maiden down in Tampa and then following it up with his win in the G2 Wood Memorial.
Pedigree and Connections
- Sire: Yaupon
- Dam & Damsire: Adream (by Bernadini)
- Owner: Pin Oak Stud LLC
- Trainer: Riley Mott
- Jockey: Manny Franco
The sire Yaupon is a sprint G1 winner adding speed to his pedigree. Yaupons have shown speed and success at 1 turn races. Albus’s half brother, Song of Spring, has a 2 turn graded stakes win. The dam, Adream out of Bernardini adds a lot of stamina to the pedigree. Adream is a half sister to G1 winner Dream Rush. Albus seems to take more after the dam side as he is a taller, lanky type horse whose physical form would say distance.
Albus will be ridden by Manny Franco who has had continued success in the NYRA circuit and currently ranked 6th in North America by earnings for 2026. He secured his 4th NYRA year end leading rider title in 2025 with 206 wins. As of April 2026 he has maintained a win percentage of 24%. Franco has 6 career starts in the Derby with his best finish being second on Tiz the Law in 2020. Most recently he finished 5th on Hit Show in 2023. He did however win the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes with Tiz the Law in 2020.
Albus is trained by Riley Mott, son of Bill Mott. Riley Mott is set to make his official debut as a head trainer in the 2026 Kentucky Derby and will be entering 2 contenders this year, Albus and Incredibolt. Before launching his career in 2022, Riley Mott served as the top assistant for 8 years to his father, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. During that time, he was a part of the team that won the 2019 Kentucky Derby with Country House following the disqualification of Maximum Security. In 2026, Mott maintained a consistent 15% win rate.
Final Prep Analysis
- Final Prep Race: G2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct (April 4th)
- Finish Position: 1st out of 12
- Final Time: 1:51.71
- Beyer Speed Figure: 83
Albus won the G2 Wood Memorial by 1 ¼ lengths covering 1 ⅛ mile in 1:51 with a strong late rally. He was positioned 8th early before accelerating to the lead at the eighth pole with a 4 wide move and a strong powerful finish down the stretch. The Wood Memorial is a historic top tier Kentucky Derby Prep and has produced 20 Kentucky Derby Winners. However it has struggled to produce recent winners, with no winners since 2003 and only 1 top 3 finish during that time. While it remains a key race for qualifying, recent winners have had difficulty translating that success to Churchill Downs. Of note, the 2026 Wood Memorial was run a full second slower than the fillies race an hour prior.
Strengths and Concerns
Strengths: Albus has demonstrated a powerful sustained rally exemplified by closing from 11 lengths back to win the Wood. The pedigree on the dam and physical appearance suggests he should handle the Derby distance. He does seem to also possess a bit of a versatile running time with abilities to close from mid pack or further back which may suit the setup the Derby typically has. Although a bit lighter, Albus does show improving speed figures, if he is able to take another step forward he could be a factor.
Concerns: Some concerns for Albus are his inexperience having run just 4 races so far and still showing signs of inexperience; of note his frequent lead switching during the Wood Memorial. His pedigree on the sire side does raise stamina concerns being by Yaupon, however the horse does appear to take more after the dam and has gotten better the further he has gone. The slow race time of the Wood Memorial coupled with the lack of success it has translated in the Derby is also a concern. While his speed figures are improving, his highest figure is still considered low compared to some of the top tier competition in this race.
Expert Opinions and Odds
Albus appears to be a live long shot, probably more so to use underneath as he doesn’t seem quite as fast enough to run down the top horses in this field. But at a large price, he should provide value and help spice up exotics. Markets currently have him listed between 30-1 and 40-1.
Conclusion
Albus does seem to be on the improve after his freshening between November and January. He returned as a more mature horse in 2026 rattling off a maiden breaking score in Tampa and following that up with an upset stakes win in the Wood. His lanky frame tends to bode well with the distance as well as the Dam pedigree. If he continues to improve and gets the right pace setup, he can find himself battling for minor place awards as he will come charging late.
